Drag Racing Story of the Day!

Force Seeking 100th Career Victory
at Mac Tools Gatornationals

With milestone victory, will join
short list
of race drivers to earn 100 trophies

By NHRA Communications

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- With a victory in Sunday's Mac Tools NHRA
Gatornationals, John Force will join an elite list of drivers to earn 100
victories in major auto racing competition. Force, an 11-time NHRA Funny
Car champion, would join NASCAR legends Richard Petty (200 wins) and David
Pearson (105) as the only competitors in motorsports history to reach the
century mark in career victories.

Additionally, Force would become the first driver in motorsports to
earn 100 victories in the modern era (1972-2002).

Force, 52, came up short last month in his bid to achieve the
milestone, losing a final round battle to Del Worsham in Phoenix when his
Castrol GTX Ford Mustang lost traction just after the start.

Of Force's 99 career victories, seven have come at the historic
Gainesville Raceway quarter-mile, including a win last year.

Force has earned more victories than several of auto racing's prominent
drivers, including most notably Darrell Waltrip (84), A.J. Foyt (79), the
late Dale Earnhardt (76), and Mario Andretti (65).

In the world of drag racing, a pair of legendary Pro Stock drivers are
closest to his leading total, including Warren Johnson (87) and Bob
Glidden (85). He has no equal in Funny Car competition, as his closest
active rival in the career win column is Cruz Pedregon (22). Retired
driver Don Prudhomme is second among all-time Funny Car winners with 35.

MAJOR AUTO RACING SERIES' CAREER VICTORY LEADERS:

Richard Petty 200, NASCAR

David Pearson 105, NASCAR

John Force 99, NHRA Funny Car

Warren Johnson 87, NHRA Pro Stock

Bob Glidden 85, NHRA Pro Stock

Bobby Allison 84, NASCAR

Darrell Waltrip 84, NASCAR

Cale Yarborough 83, NASCAR

A.J. Foyt 79, CART, NASCAR

Dale Earnhardt 76, NASCAR

Mario Andretti 65, CART, F1, NASCAR

Kenny Bernstein 61, NHRA Top Fuel and Funny Car

Jeff Gordon 58, NASCAR

Lee Petty 55, NASCAR

Michael Schumacher 54, F1

Rusty Wallace 54, NASCAR

Joe Amato 52, NHRA Top Fuel

Alain Prost 51, F1

Ned Jarrett 50, NASCAR

Junior Johnson 50, NASCAR

Don Prudhomme 49, NHRA Funny Car and Top Fuel

Herb Thomas 48, NASCAR

Buck Baker 46, NASCAR

Michael Andretti 41, CART

Bill Elliott 41, NASCAR

Ayrton Senna 41, F1

Tim Flock 40, NASCAR

Al Unser 38, CART

Bobby Issac 37, NASCAR

Don Garlits 35, NHRA Top Fuel

Al Unser Jr. 33, CART, IRL

Mark Martin 32, NASCAR

MAJOR AUTO RACING SERIES' WIN LEADERS IN THE MODERN ERA OF
MOTORSPORTS (1972-2002):

QUICK FACTS: John Force will attempt to score his 100th career NHRA
victory in Funny Car competition ... NHRA legends "Big Daddy"
Don Garlits and Shirley Muldowney will compete in Top Fuel, while Pro
Stock legend Bob Glidden will take to the track for the third time this
season in his comeback attempt ... Angelle Savoie begins defense of her
2001 NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle championship at this event ... Gene Wilson,
son of famous TV outdoorsman Orlando Wilson, will make his NHRA driving
debut for the Team Mopar Pro Stock team, owned by Houston's David Nickens.
Wilson, new teammate of three-time NHRA Pro Stock champ Darrell Alderman,
is the defending IHRA Pro Stock champion and replaces Mark Osborne in the
second Team Mopar Dodge Neon R/T.